Denture brush



Sept. 6, 1938. G. T- MV1-TON 2,129,306

DENTURE BRUSH Filed Jan. 3, 1958 :Fi A jlverflor Ghlenn Mirror;

ATTY.

Patented Sept. 6l, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a brush for cleaning dentures of the kind comprising a handle formed of an elongated base and a curved head upstanding from the top side thereof, said head having a semi-circular peripheral bristle carrying surface, and bristles outwardly projecting from said peripheral surface terminating in a substantially curved brushing surface in the plane of the handle, and has for its object to produce a brush of this kind capable of manipulation in a circular sweeping or brushing motion by holding it with the thumb at one side centrally of the bristling and the ngers at the other side in order to obtain a secure purchase, particularly for using the brush by a wrist movement for brushing, in

' particular, recesses and other grooved surfaces of upper and lower dentures difficult of access.

Having described the nature and object of the invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating its use in brushing interproXimal embrasures.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof showing it as employed in brushing the top grooved portion of an upper denture.

Figure 3 is an end view of the brush depicted as applied to the groove curvature of a lower denture.

Figure 4 is a top plan view in which several tufts are omitted in order to show the formation of the holes in the bristle carrying surface.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

3.5 Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the base.

Like numerals of reference denote similar parts in each figure of the drawing.

In the preferred construction of the invention herein disclosed, the reference numeral 1 generally denotes the bristling which is composed of tufts radially extending from a head 8 of a handle 9 having an elongated grip or base I0. The head and the grip or base are unitary as shown and provide opposite sides II and I2 with a fiat bottom I3 at right angles thereto. The handle may be constructed of suitable material according to circumstances of manufacture, and the bristling may and will be of approved substance.

The head is semicircular in shape and preferably has a flat peripheral face I4 constituting the bristle carrying surface, which head upstands from the top of the grip or base IIJ and is disposed medially of the length of the same with its rounded face short of the ends I5.

Each side of the head is supplied with a central depression or recess at I6 receptive to the ball of the thumb, and each side of the -grip or base is supplied with a lengthwise groove as at I1 receptive to the lingers and merged into the 5 adjoining recess, as clearly depicted in the drawing.

The bristling is of a V-formation in cross section and the tufts I8 are lodged in holes I9 in the head in a well known manner, which holes 10 are arranged in rows, there preferably being four of such rows in side by side relation throughout the length of the nat semi-annular face I 4 aforesaid. The holes have angular axes so that the tufts incline inwardly and interfit at their tip 15 portions thus producing the V-formation. The series of holes of one row are staggered or longitudinally offset with respect of the series of holes of another row by which a compact interlocking of the tips of the converging tufts is 20 effected that enables them to brace one another and produce a continuous semicircular brushing or working surface in the plane of the handle.

The interspacial openings furnished by the divergent root portions or inner ends of the tufts 25 provide for ready removal of accumulated foreign matter by flushing and also for free circulation of air through the bristles in drying, the brush being stood onits flat bottom for drying purposes. 30

It will be observed that the ends of the grip or base are reduced on converging lines from a point in the vicinity of the respective end of the Abristle carrying face in order that the side faces of the ends may be substantially flush with the 35 sides of the bristles and therefore do not interfere with the rotative manipulation of the brush in cleansing a denture.

From the preceding description, it will be manifest that this invention provides a brush structure 40 particularly advantageous for dentures and one by which surfaces of a flat or grooved nature may be thoroughly brushed. As has already been recounted, the brush is held by placing the ball of the thumb in the recess of one side of the head and the lingers in the groove along the opposite side of the grip or base. A rotative movement may be imparted to the brush by a wrist movement and/or by a finger action using the thumb 50 as the centre of angular motion.

What I claim is:

A denture brush composed of a handle formed 'of a flattened unitary head and base providing opposite sides and a at bottom, said head being 55 semi-circular in shape to provide a semi-circular bristle carrying surface, said base intercepting the curvature of the head in lengthwise direction with its ends projecting outwardly of the ends of the curvature, each flattened side of the head having a central thumb recess merged into a finger groove formed in the same side of the base lengthwise thereof, and bristles radially projecting from said semi-circular surface, said bristles being of such length as to produce a concentrically curved working surface.

GLENN T. MITTON. 

